Whether it be on the sidelines during an NFL game, on the track during a NASCAR race, or on the TV via advertisements, sports fans have likely seen Microsoft’s branding or products appear in one form of another during the past few years. That’s because the tech giant is making a big investment in the sports world, highlighted by the 5-year, $400 million contract it signed with the NFL in 2013. Microsoft has since inked deals with the PGA Tour, NASCAR, Real Madrid, and many other organizations. While reporting from Atlanta at Microsoft Ignite last month, GeekWire spoke with two long-time Microsoft execs… Read More
For Ricardo Lockette, overcoming adversity started long before the former NFL wide receiver and special teams stud nearly died on the field last year in Dallas. It starts in Albany, Ga., where the 30-year-old first developed the grit and determination that helped Lockette push through obstacle after obstacle before eventually making it to the NFL and winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. It goes from ending up at a Division II college after poor academics prevented him from at playing at a top school; to not being selected in the 2011 NFL Draft; to bouncing around NFL practice squads. Throughout… Read More
Vicis had a few hiccups earlier this summer, but that isn’t stopping investors from backing the company. The Seattle startup, which develops a high-tech football helmet, just raised another $4 million via convertible note, GeekWire has learned. There were 35 individuals — 25 current and 10 new investors — that participated in this round, including Steve Singh, CEO of Concur and SAP Managing Board Member. The fresh funding is noteworthy in part because Vicis dealt with a setback in August when the company pulled its helmets from both the University of Washington and the University of Oregon football teams, citing the need… Read More
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Some fans might look at the new Golden 1 Center and see a fancy place to watch basketball. Vivek Ranadivé sees something much bigger. “This arena is the 21st Century cathedral,” the Sacramento Kings owner said this week. “It’s the communal fireplace, the place where people used to gather in old times.” Two years after construction began, the new arena here is complete and ready to demonstrate its technical prowess. Paul McCartney will kick the tires right away at the approximately $550 million arena, bringing 24 tractor-trailers’ full of lighting, rigging, and sound equipment with inaugural events… Read More
Amazon Game Studios, the gaming development arm of Amazon, today revealed its first titles that feature deep integration with Twitch, the live streaming company that Amazon acquired for $1 billion in 2014. The games signal Amazon’s continued investment in the gaming industry, as well as its ambitions for new verticals like eSports and live-streaming. One of the games even includes the ability for users to wager loyalty points that can be exchanged for in-game rewards — effectively moving Amazon into the emerging area of eSports betting. Amazon on Thursday at TwitchCon in San Diego, Calif., debuted Breakaway, “a 4v4 mythological sport brawler built for fast action,… Read More
